Armenian Prisoner Reports Being Threatened by Prison Officers

The management of the Armavir prison in Armenia has threatened convict Armen Shamiryan through 11 prison officers, the convict said in a phone conversation with the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor office (HCAV) on June 21.

“I’m passing you the chief’s words: if you continue writing appeals and complaining, there will be bad consequences for you,” Shamiryan cited one of the officers as saying, adding that surveillance cameras have recorded the prison employees entering his cell.

HCAV reported the incident to the Penitentiary Department of the Justice Ministry immediately after the phonecall; the department, however, replied to the report a month later, on July 25, saying that the prison employees’ meeting with the prisoner was related to the latter’s behavior.

According to the department’s reply, Shamiryan had refused to return to his cell after a walk, and the prison employees only “explained to him that his refusal to comply with the orders of the prison staff could be regarded as a violation of internal regulations and could result in an imposition of disciplinary action. After this, the convict agreed to return to his cell and was accompanied there by prison officers.”

“Deputy head of the Penitentiary Department R. Hovhannisyan did not specify as to what had happened afterwards. Thus, he indirectly denied the claim that prisoner Shamiryan has been threatened, but he also did not touch upon the incident described by [the prisoner],” HCAV said in a statement.